“Sinners” director Ryan Coogler took the vampire trope moviegoers know well and infused it with comedy and themes of race and culture to create one of the best movies to hit the big screen this year.
The film stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as twin brothers returning to their hometown in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in hopes of opening their own juke joint. They recruit their cousin Sammie Moore, talented blues guitarist, and other townspeople to join them.
Everything is going according to plan, the juke joint opens and the residents of Clarksdale are enjoying themselves until an evil arrives wanting to take everything away.
The movie takes place in the 1930s, so it isn’t difficult to see that vampires are symbolic of the White man wanting to claim what Black people have for themselves, but Coogler takes it a step further.
His use of blues music and cultural reference is striking and helps push the plot and themes of the movie.
In one of the most powerful and stunning scenes, which would be sinful to reveal here, Miles Caton as Moore has a performance that transcends time, invoking spirits from the past and future in a moment that captures the essence of the genre in all its glory.
The music is so powerful and important to the community that it can connect generations who can feel that energy in the theater.
Blues music is often associated with the devil since its origin stems from juke joints in the 1930s, which were often seen as sinful and immoral. But for the people making blues, it was never about that.
These songs allowed black culture to live on in an era where Black people had little to look forward to. Coogler was introduced to blues by his uncle, gaining a real understanding of what blues stood for, and he did a wonderful job capturing that on film.
Another reason the movie works so well is because it’s such a slow burn. That’s not something you usually want to hear for a movie that’s 2 hours and 17 minutes long, but for “Sinners,” it works.
That time is well spent introducing the characters and developing the relationships we see for the rest of the movie. The human emotion given to each character is impactful, especially in the later scenes.
Viewers have a reason to cheer for the characters, and it helps create an environment that draws the viewer into the world and keeps you invested throughout the entire runtime.
While the relationships are well thought out, it’s the actor’s execution that brings them to life.
The performances from stars Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell and Omar Miller don’t go unnoticed, but it was showings from Caton and Delroy Lindo that really stand out.
Caton made his acting debut with this film and hit it out of the park. He was incredibly natural and strong in the role, especially for someone new to acting. Saying he brought heart and soul to the role is an understatement. If he wasn’t getting called for roles before, his line is definitely getting flooded with opportunities after this masterclass.
As an old, drunk, hardened bluesman, Lindo brings a natural solemnity to the role of Delta Slim. His performance blends humor and emotional depth with masterful precision fans have come to expect from him.
Some viewers have been critical of the overambitious narrative scope of the film, saying the genre blending makes it difficult to grasp the central storyline, but that ambition is what sets “Sinners” apart from other films.
Rather than staying true to one idea, “Sinners” mixes genres to capture the complexity of not only the character but of a place like Mississippi in the 1930s, where trauma, faith and art collide. It may not be neat, but it’s alive.
